2013 Korean Grand Prix

The Korea International Circuit will have a second DRS zone this year on the pit straight, and the configuration of the original DRS zone has been changed.

Drivers will still be able to use DRS on the longest straight on the track but the length of the DRS zone has been shortened by 40 metres. The detection point for it has also been moved – having previously been on the entry to turn one it is now after turn two.

The new DRS zone on the pit straight has its detection point between turns 15 and 16. Drivers can then open their rear wings 95 metres after the high-speed turn 18.

Sergio Perez said teams will set their cars up to take maximum advantage of these overtaking opportunities: “The aim is also to have a car that works well in the principal overtaking areas ?óÔé¼ÔÇ£ into turns one and three ?óÔé¼ÔÇ£ which means making a little bit of a compromise to the set-up.”

“That?óÔé¼Ôäós particularly important because it?óÔé¼Ôäós very difficult to overtake once you get into the twisty section, as there?óÔé¼Ôäós really only a single racing line.”

I don’t understand why they put DRS on the longest straight of the circuit. Now it’ll be to easy to pass. Why don’t they put the second DRS zone on the small straight between turn 3 and turn 4, Then you’ll have 3 opportunities to pass, and none of them is too easy.

People always say this, but Renault always seem to be the race winning engine supplier even at places like Spa and Monza. Seems people still clutch at straws like this to imagine Red Bull won’t be able to just walk away with it.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to wake up to watch this race on Sunday. I mean, I’ve found Saturdays more interesting; qualifying have been far entertaining than the actual race lately… Also the demoralized fan inside me would enjoy a few hours sleep but the die-hard F1 fan wouldn’t comply LOL!
Just craving for F1.

DRS made passing too easy in many cases on this track in both 2011 & 2012 & given how DRS has been more effective this year anyway I don’t expect a shorter zone to change that.

Besides the length of the DRS zones tends not to be what determines how effective or ineffective DRS is. DRS’s effectiveness is more down to outside factors like wing levels, wing speed, wing direction, how close the cars are, How many cars are lined up using DRS & differences between each teams DRS systems.

The moving of the activation line to after turn 2 would have been a nice change though had they not added a 2nd DRS down the start straght as it doesn’t solve the problem we saw in the past where DRS down the long straght to turn 3 would undo overtakes done at turn 1.

Just glad they didn’t add the 2nd zone to the straght after turn 3 as thats been where we have seen all of the real racing & all the proper excitement the past 2 years.

More DRS… sigh. Let’s see how RBR’s top speed looks like, it could be their Achilles heal now that they could be out-qualified by the Merc Duo – on race day, Seb can find himself stuck behind the Mercs and prone to attacks from the back, the only chance for the “We’re bored with the same Winner” crowd to rejoice, maybe then they will stop booing DRS :D

…And it turns out to be a better solution than the real initial one. But still not as good as @vettel1 suggested below. However, that would in turn make the pit stop time loss inexplicably high. Which makes me believe that the whole concept is just plain wrong, the ideal thing would have been to exit the pit lane on the inside of the T2 exit, have the pit lane on the S/F straight’s left, and switch the grandstand to the right. That way even the spectators would have had a better view of the circuit.

I missed a step: it would make pit stop time loss high by lining the exit all the way to the far side of the run-off area to provide enough room on the outside of T1. And THEN line it with barriers. If they do it as it is now, I’m sure they wouldn’t be satisfied with the size of the run-off area.

The pit exit was always stupid: there should be crash barriers lining the entire length of the exit road, so it’s separated from the racetrack in the event of brake failure of somebody on the track itself.